Steve Hanson

MADISON – Today, the People's Maps Commission announced Eric Holder will be among the redistricting experts presenting to the Commission during their inaugural online public hearing on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Holder is currently Chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee and is an internationally recognized expert on a broad range of legal issues, including redistricting.  

Additional experts set to testify before the Commission include Ruth Greenwood, Co-Director of Voting Rights and Redistricting at the Campaign Legal Center, and Karen Nelson, Equity and Diversity Coordinator for the Appleton Mayor's Office. More information about the experts is available HERE. 

The Commission also announced Christopher Ford was voted Chair of the People's Maps Commission. Ford, of Whitefish Bay, represents the 4th Congressional District. Ford is an emergency physician serving one of the highest COVID-19 prevalence populations in the state. He is a member of the American Board of Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medicine Residents Association, and an advisory board member of the Wisconsin Emergency Medical Services for Children. 

“I have practiced medicine in this state in several districts. In each, I have seen the direct harmful effects of gerrymandering and lack of representation,” Ford said. “Ultimately, it is Wisconsinites that pay the price for unfair maps. Our commission aims to create maps devoid of bias and partisanship, representing each district's citizens.”  

Following the experts' presentations, Wisconsin residents have the opportunity to provide public comment to commission members regarding how they have been impacted by legislative redistricting and share their ideas for how Wisconsin can work together to achieve fair maps. Anyone wishing to testify at a hearing must register in advance by visiting the People’s Maps Commission website ...

The Dunn County Health Department has confirmed the first death in the county from COVID-19. In a press release this afternoon Health Department Officer KT Gallagher announced that the fatality was an elderly person and that no further information would be released out of respect for the deceased and their loved ones. Gallagher stated that  “Our hearts go out to the family and friends for their loss. This death and our current high rate of COVID-19infections emphasize the need for us all to do our part to prevent spreading COVID-19 germs”.

Currently, a total of 612 people in Dunn County have been diagnosed with COVID-19, with 202current active cases. Dunn County is considered to have a “very high” case activity and increasingtrend in cases averaging over 50 cases a day per 100,000 people.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) launched a data dashboard on in June showingcounty-level COVID-19 activity and regional hospital capacity. The dashboard was updated today toincrease the upper limit to “very high,” meaning 350 cases in two weeks, or 25 cases per day, per100,000 people. Visit https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/disease.htm for more information.

Gallagher emphasized the need to continue to limit the spread of the virus through mask wearing, hand washing, maintaining a 6-foot distance from others, staying home if ill, and limiting contact with other people.